Presently, communication devices such as smart mobile phones are provided with various functionalities. Many basic functional features are still provided by means of few buttons at a fixed location of the phone device. Control of volume, vibrational mode and switching on and off of power is done using specific hard keys or buttons. Continuous efforts are on to provide enhanced functional features to the control buttons of present day electronic communication devices.
Below are given some of the known prior art. US patent application 20080246731 discloses a Backside Control Utility, BCU. The invention is an innovative way of BCU touchpad and keyboard in various applications as backside control utility, meaning locating touchpad and keyboard at a back of various hosting devices such as cellular phones, Tablet PCs, laptops, portable displays, portable music players and others. The invention can be embedded into a hosting device at manufacturing stage as BCU touchpad and keyboard components at the back of hosting device and comprises custom or universal attachment system, that allow BCU platform to be attached to the back of any device via universal attachment system, or to a specific device via custom attachment system. Navigating BCU responds to a regular cursor or text entry navigation. The invention, however, is used in single handed or dual handed navigation.
US patent application 20160086456 discloses an electronic device with electrically controlled button indicator wherein electrical components may be mounted in an interior portion of the housing. A display may be mounted to the housing to display images for a user. A button may have a movable button member that moves inwardly and outwardly with respect to the housing. Control circuitry can use a sensor to monitor button press activity on the button. A visual indicator such as an electrophoretic display or other low power display may be mounted on a protruding portion of the button member. The control circuitry can alter the visual appearance of the visual indicator in response to detection of button presses on the button member. The button may be sealed to prevent intrusion of moisture into the interior of the housing.
US patent application 20140004907 pertains to a mobile terminal including a terminal body having a front surface and a rear surface, a display module disposed on the front surface and configured to display visual information, and a rear input unit disposed on the rear surface and configured to sense an input of a control command, wherein the rear input unit includes a button member externally exposed from the rear surface, a first sensing unit disposed to overlap the button member and configured to sense a push input applied onto the button member, and a second sensing unit disposed to overlap the button member and configured to sense a touch input applied onto the button member.
Despite various improvements and progress in the field, some of the major obstacles that still exist, involve having a specific number of buttons to perform a set of given functions. This leads to higher manufacturing cost since several components are involved. Also the assembling and manufacturing effort is more.
Another major limitation of existing prior art is that since the position of control buttons on the device is fixed, it is not user friendly from the perspective of left handed person or right handed person. Many of the devices have the buttons located centrally which is inconvenient for one handed operation, which is currently what most people use to operate devices like smartphones. According to the make/design of the smartphone, different protective casings are required which have the necessary openings or adaptations to accommodate the side buttons. Many times in order to accommodate different functional features, several control buttons have to be pressed together or in a combination, which can be quite cumbersome for a user.
Accordingly, improvements are needed in the existing methods and structures that negate the above shortcomings in the existing systems.
The purpose and methodology of all the above inventions that are part of prior art do not envisage the unique embodiment of an electronic device with slidable control buttons, thus eliminating fixed buttons located on the sides of the electronic device for various functions such as controlling volume, power on and off, vibrational mode, which also reduce the cost of manufacturing and facilitate easy one hand operation for a user.
The scope of the invention is to be determined by the terminology of the following description, claims, drawings and the legal equivalents thereof.